The Washington critic., 1887-09-03

think Of itfr answered, "I am sorry IT,
say II does not Impress me rs one OF his
great speeches"
rAlsiFtCATioSs or HISTORY.
In the face OF these facts II has been re.
peatedly published that this speech WAS re-
ceivsd with great ecidi by the audience; that
"smid the tears, sobs and cheers II produced
In the excited throng, the orator OF the day,
Mr Everett, turned impusively to Mr., Lin.
coin, grasped bis haud and exclaimed Il
congratulate you on your success i adding.
IN transport OF heated enthusiasm All
Mr.. President, how gladly would give all
my hundred pages to be the author oil your
twenty liUes "
All this unworthy gush, It is needless to
say, Ia purely apOcryphal. Nothing ot the
Kind occurred 1t is AN afterthOught, mere
rhetorical bombast, gotten up to serve the
pufpose Of baseless adulation. II Is n slhu-
der on Mr.. Everett, AN Injustice to VII, Lin-
coin, and n Justification OF history Mr.
Everett could not have used the words at
tribuied to him, In the face Of his openly
expressed condemnation Of Mr. Liucpln'p
speech, without subjectlng himself to the
just charge OF being tOady and hypocrite,
aud he was neither the one nor the other.
A WET BLANKET.
As a matter OF fact, Mr.. Lincoln's great
't'JobuiA optNNu iCli ON buC Nhsb hhAANuNp
like wet blanket. At that time his repu-
tation was confessedly on the wane. Tho
politicians OF the couutry--those Of his own
party, together with large part OF the
prets-were casting about for AN available
candidate to be his successor, while great
majority Of the people were for him.
state II asa fact, aud without fear OF
contradiction, that this famous Gettysburg
speech was not received or commented
upon, with anything like hearty favor, by
the people, the politicians, or the press Of
the United States, until after the death Of
Its author. Its marvellous perfection, its
intrinsic excellence, as masterpiece OF
English composition, seem to have escaped
the scrutiny Of the most scholarly critics
aud the wisest heads of that day, on this
side OF the Atlantic. That discovery was
made, We most regretfuly own, by distin-
guished writer's on the other eide. The
LoI don Spectator. the Saturday Repie'c,
the Edinburgh RetietU, and other European
journals were the fret to discover, or at
least to proclaim, the classical merits OF the
ttysbarg speech.
YET MASTERPIECE
1t was then that we began to realize that
1t was indeed a masterpiece, and 1t then
dawned upon many minds that we had en-.
tertsined an angel unawares who had left
us uDappreciated.
The tragic death OF Mr.. Lincoln brought
more fearful panic to his former traduccrs
than 10 bis friends. The latter's legacy a.
deep sorrow, mourning and regret; the
former were left to the humiliating neces.
siiy Of a change OF base to place themselves
en- rapport with the millions who mourned
the lOss Of their greatest patriot and states
man. In no country and In no age of the
world, has the death OF any man caused an
| outpOurlpg OF sorrow so universal. Every
patton Of the earth felt and expressed Its
sense OF the loss to progressive civilization
and popular government. lu bis life and
death thoughtful men In all lands found au
Inspiring theme.
Epglsnd's greatest thinker, John Stuart
| Mil, pronounced him "the greatest citizen,
who has afforded a noble example OF the
| qualities heil ting the First Magistrate of d
free people.n The London Times declared
that the news OF his death would he received
throughout Europe "with sorrow rs sincere
aud profound as 1t awoks 10 the United
States,n and that "Eugllshmen had learned
to respect mab who showed the best
characteristics OF their race" The London
| Spectator spoke Of him as "certaiuly the
hest, II not the ablest, man ruling over any
country in the civilized world"
CELEBRATED PHRASE.
| ueihB III MO ucAhNeuuiE bpetGu TUT
celebrated phrase: "The government OF tn,
people, by the people aud for the people
shall not perish from the earth," Mr.. Lin
coin has been subjected to brutal criticism
us well as the most groundless hattery
Some have been base enough to insinuAt,
against that great and sincere man tht
crime Of wilful plagiarism; others have as
cribed to him the honor Of originating tn,
phrase entire There is Injustice to him IL
either view OF the case. personally knoa
that Mr.. Lincoln made no pretense OF orig
inality In the matter, nor was he conscious
Of having appropriated the thought or TIL,
words of any other man.
II he be subject to the charge OF plaglAr
ism, so is the great Webster, who used sub
s'antially the same phrase In his celebrates
reply to Hsyne. Each may have acquire,
the peculiar form of expression (the though
itself being as old as the Republican idea o
gOvernment) by the process known as un
cOn.cious appropriation. Certain It IA tina
neither Webster nor Lincoln originated th
phrase. Let ms see how the case stands:
In the preface to the old Wicklilre Bible
publi.hed A. d 1924, is the following
declarations "This Bible Is for the govern
ment OF the people, by tho people, and fT
The people," which language Is iduntica
with that employed by MIR Lincoln In hi
Gettysburg speech.
In an address before the New EnglauC
Apti.slavery Convention IN Boston, Ma,
20, 1850. Theodore Parker defined Dsmpc
rGcy rs "a government Of all the people, b.
nll the people, for all the people, of course
Substantially the same phrase was used b
Judge Joel Parker In the Massachusett
Constitutional Convention in 1853.
A distinguished diplomat has scauaiute
me with the singular fsct that almost tn
identical phrase employed by Mr.. Lincol
was used In another language bya perso
"whoee existence even was not probabl,
known tn Mr.. Webster, Mr.. Parker or NJ
Lincoln, and who certainly did not bOrro'
II from them" On page 81 OF work en-
titled "Geschichte der hweizerischen Re
generation Won 1880 bis 1913, Won p. Fed
dersen," appears an account OF publ
meeting held at Often, Switzerland, IN May
1880. On that occasion a speaker name
SchipR used the following language: "h
the governments of switzerland (reterrin
to the cantonsl must acknowledge thi
they are simply from the people, by tn
people and for the people"
These extracts are enough to show tbs
no American statesman or writer can la
clsim to the origin or authorship of III
phrase IN question. No friend Of Mr.. Lit
coin will pretend that 1t IA the coinage L
HE fertile brain. AZ a phrase of slugula
compactntss and force II was simply en-
pl0yed by him, legitimately aud prOperl'
as fitting conc lusIOu to an address while
will live Ms model OF clissic oratOry viii
free government shall continue to |
known and reyered among men.
WARD II. LANoN.
Don't LauGh ut Aervous People.
1heiT suferings are very real, alIhpug
you, with your vigorous physique al
strong nerves, can scarcely believe